Faroese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛaːɹ/

Etymology

From Old Norse ær, from Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Noun

ær f (genitive singular ær, plural ær)

1. ewe

   ofta eigur svørt ær hvítt lamb.‎

   Black ewes often give birth to white lambs.

Declension

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aiːr/
• Rhymes: -aiːr

Etymology 1

From Old Norse ær, from Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Noun

ær f ‎(genitive singular ær, nominative plural ær)

1. ewe

Declension

Etymology 2

From Old Norse œrr, from Proto-Germanic *wōrijaz.

Adjective

ær ‎(comparative ærari, superlative ærastur)

1. mad

Inflection

References

• Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon — Íslensk orðsifjabók, 1st edition, 2nd printing (1989). Reykjavík, Orðabók Háskólans.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse æðr ‎(“eider”).

Noun

ær f, m ‎(definite singular æra or æren, indefinite plural ærer, definite plural ærene)

1. eider

Synonyms

• ærfugl

Derived terms

• ederdun
• ederdunsdyne

Etymology 2

Verb

ær

1. imperative of ære

Old English

Adjective

ǣr ‎(comparative ǣrra, superlative ǣrest)

1. early, previous, former

Preposition

ǣr

1. before (in time)
   • Cædmon’s Metrical Paraphrase:

     Ær his swylt-dæge.

     Before his death-day.

Conjunction

ǣr

1. before (in time)
   • Cædmon’s Metrical Paraphrase:

     Ær heo wordum cwæþ...

     Before she said in words...

2. rather than, in preference to

Descendants

• English ere, early

Derived terms

• ǣrdæġ
• ǣrgōd
• ǣrra ġēola ‎(“December”)

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *awiz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis.

Noun

ær f (genitive ær, plural ær)

1. ewe

Declension

Descendants

• Icelandic: ær
• Faroese: ær
• Norwegian: ærsaud
• Danish (Thy): ålam